Your Complete Guide to Hyrox Training with Pact

Hyrox has taken the fitness world by storm. Part endurance race, part functional fitness throwdown, it is the first competition format that truly bridges the gap between running and gym training. Whether you are eyeing your first race or chasing a podium finish, this guide breaks down everything you need to know about Hyrox and how Pact can help you get there.

What is Hyrox?

Hyrox is a global fitness race that follows the same standardized format at every event worldwide. Every competitor completes eight 1 km runs, each followed by one of eight functional workout stations, for a total race distance of 8 km of running plus eight workout stations. The course is always identical regardless of city, which means your time in London is directly comparable to someone racing in Chicago, Dubai, or Sydney.

Founded in 2017 in Hamburg, Germany, Hyrox has rapidly expanded across Europe, North America, Asia, and beyond. It has been called the marathon of functional fitness because it rewards the athlete who can sustain effort across both running and strength-endurance exercises. There are no barbells, no gymnastics, and no complicated movements to learn. What makes it brutal is the sheer volume of work and the constant switching between aerobic running and anaerobic station efforts.

Hyrox offers divisions for every level: Open (lighter weights), Pro (heavier weights), and Doubles (two-person relay). This makes it accessible to first-timers while still testing elite athletes at the sharp end.

The 8 Hyrox Stations

Every Hyrox race follows the same order. Here is each station with the standard distances and weights for the Pro division (Open division weights are lighter).

Station 1 — SkiErg (1,000 m): Right after your first kilometer of running, you jump on the SkiErg and pull for 1,000 meters. This torches the lats, triceps, and core. The key is finding a sustainable pace rather than sprinting the first 200 meters and dying.

Station 2 — Sled Push (50 m): Push a weighted sled 50 meters across the competition floor. Pro men push 152 kg, pro women push 102 kg. Short, powerful strides and a low body angle are essential. This is where leg drive and mental grit collide.

Station 3 — Sled Pull (50 m): Using a rope, pull the same weighted sled 50 meters back toward you. Grip strength and back endurance are critical. Many athletes lose significant time here because their forearms give out halfway through.

Station 4 — Burpee Broad Jumps (80 m): Perform burpees that transition into a forward broad jump, covering 80 meters total. This is often cited as the most grueling station. Pacing is everything because going too fast early leads to a dramatic slowdown.

Station 5 — Rowing (1,000 m): Hop on a Concept2 rower and grind out 1,000 meters. After four stations and five kilometers of running, your legs will be screaming. A strong rowing technique with powerful leg drive makes a massive difference here.

Station 6 — Farmers Carry (200 m): Carry a pair of heavy kettlebells (2 x 24 kg for pro women, 2 x 32 kg for pro men) for 200 meters. Grip endurance and core stability keep you moving. If you have to set them down, you lose precious seconds every time.

Station 7 — Sandbag Lunges (100 m): Lunge forward with a sandbag on your shoulders (20 kg for pro women, 30 kg for pro men) for 100 meters. Quads, glutes, and balance are all under siege. Breaking this into manageable 25-meter chunks helps you stay consistent.

Station 8 — Wall Balls (100 reps): The final test. Throw a medicine ball (4 kg for pro women, 6 kg for pro men) to a 3-meter target, 100 times. Your legs are spent, your shoulders are burning, and the finish line is calling. Steady sets of 15 to 20 reps with short rests are more effective than trying to go unbroken.

Training for Your First Hyrox

A 12-week preparation block is the sweet spot for most athletes. This breaks down into three distinct phases that progressively build your race readiness.

Phase 1: Base Building (Weeks 1 to 4)

The goal here is aerobic capacity and general strength. You are not practicing stations yet. Instead, you are building the engine that will power you through race day. Aim for four to five sessions per week.

A typical week might look like: Monday, a 30 to 40 minute easy run at a conversational pace. Tuesday, a full-body strength session focusing on squats, deadlifts, overhead press, and rows. Wednesday, 30 minutes of rowing or SkiErg at a steady state. Thursday, rest or light active recovery like a walk or yoga. Friday, interval running such as 6 x 400 m with 90 seconds of rest. Saturday, a longer strength-endurance session combining movements like lunges, carries, and wall balls at moderate weight. Sunday, a longer easy run of 45 to 60 minutes.

Phase 2: Station Work (Weeks 5 to 8)

Now you start integrating actual Hyrox station practice. The focus shifts from general fitness to race-specific conditioning. You will practice individual stations, work on transitions between running and stations, and learn your pacing for each movement.

A typical week: Monday, 1 km run into SkiErg 1,000 m into 1 km run (practice transitions). Tuesday, heavy sled work, alternating push and pull, with short running intervals between. Wednesday, easy 5 km run. Thursday, burpee broad jump practice plus rowing intervals. Friday, rest. Saturday, a mini simulation covering four stations with 1 km runs between each. Sunday, long run of 8 to 10 km at a comfortable pace.

Phase 3: Race Simulation (Weeks 9 to 12)

The final block is about sharpening your race plan and building confidence. You will complete at least two full or near-full race simulations, dial in your pacing strategy, and taper in the final week.

Key sessions include: a full 8-station simulation at race pace in week 9 or 10, half-race simulations (4 stations plus runs) at slightly faster than race pace, and targeted weakness work on your slowest stations. The final week should reduce volume by 40 to 50 percent while maintaining intensity on a few short, sharp efforts.

Common Hyrox Mistakes

Going too hard on the runs. This is the number one mistake first-timers make. It is tempting to treat each 1 km run as a standalone effort, but you have eight of them. Going out at your 5 km race pace on the first run guarantees you will be walking by station six. Hold back 15 to 20 percent on every run. You will thank yourself when you are still moving well during wall balls.

Neglecting grip strength. Three of the eight stations hammer your grip directly: sled pull, farmers carry, and wall balls. Add in the SkiErg and rowing, and your forearms are working almost continuously. If you are not training grip endurance specifically with dead hangs, heavy carries, and towel pull-ups, you are leaving time on the course.

Not practicing transitions. In a Hyrox race, the transition zones between running and stations can add up to several minutes of wasted time. Practice moving from a run straight into a station with no mental hesitation. Set up your home gym or ask Pact for a workout that links a 1 km run directly into a station effort. The athletes who look smooth in transition are the ones who practiced it dozens of times.

Poor pacing strategy. Many athletes have no plan for how to break up their wall balls, how long to rest during sled pulls, or what split to hold on the rower. Going in without a pacing sheet is like running a marathon without knowing your target splits. Write down your target time for every station and every run, and rehearse it in training.

How Pact Helps You Prepare

Pact was built for athletes who train with purpose, and Hyrox athletes are exactly that. Here is how the app slots into your race preparation.

AI-generated Hyrox workouts. Open Pact, tap the AI workout generator, and type something like “Hyrox station practice, 30 minutes, sled alternatives for home gym.” The AI understands Hyrox stations and will build you a session that targets the exact movement patterns you need. No sled at your gym? Pact substitutes equivalent pushing and pulling movements so you can still train the same energy systems and muscle groups.

Daily challenges with Hyrox flavor. Pact’s daily challenges regularly feature Hyrox-style workouts: combinations of running, rowing, carries, and bodyweight movements that mirror race demands. Completing these keeps your station fitness sharp without having to plan every session yourself.

Track your station times. Log your station times and run splits inside Pact after every simulation or race. Over weeks of training, you will see exactly where you are improving and where you need to focus. Compare your progress against your own history and see how your times stack up within the Pact community.

Follow other Hyrox athletes. Pact’s social features let you follow other athletes training for Hyrox. See their workouts, their station times, and their race results. There is nothing more motivating than watching someone in your feed crush a sled push PR when you are about to head to the gym for your own session. Build your Hyrox crew inside Pact and hold each other accountable through every phase of training.